Equator Boy goes to Europe

Tosca @ Opernhaus

Feeling a bit arty today I met CG to watch Tosca at the Zurich Opera House. It’s not very often that I see an opera (in fact I don’t remember seeing any in Sg), but the fact that I’m in a place which has a good opera house, and I actually know the opera that’s showing, it was a good time to go. Also that it’s a tuesday, and I can get student-priced tickets at the door for cheap 😀

There’s a good feeling when one walks into the Opera House. It’s slightly smaller than the Esplanade but imo looks better. The quality of the performers is definitely there, and the main characters were splendid. It helped that I got a seat in the front row, so no tall person to block me, and that the Europeans are much more well behaved than in Singapore. Not a single handphone rang. That has never happened when I’m in the Esplanade. No babies crying. No talking while the show is going on. Applause only at the right time. All these little points definitely made my experience a whole lot better. There are quite a lot of good operas coming up, including Carmen (I missed Cosi fan tutte :/). But right now budget’s a bit tight, so I probably will be giving them a miss.

::German Supertitles displayed about the stage::

Is it just me, or do Europeans like to wear black. Everywhere one goes, black jackets, black coats. black umbrellas. it’s so weird. I can spot my friends in their pink coats immediately. What’s wrong with blue or green? At least the younger ones have some colour, but at a place like the opera house, it was a sea of black.

Outside the Opera House just before 8pm

Note: I found another place with all 3 supermarkets together, this time at Schwamendingen. And 2 of them share the same building. Ridiculous.